Swansea v Brentford: Sky Bet Championship playoff semi-final first leg preview

Free football tips, best bets and analysis for Swansea v Brentford in Sky Bet Championship playoff semi-final first leg on Sunday.

Where to watch

Sky Sports Football & Main Event, 6.30pm Sunday

Best bet

Swansea
1pt 3-1 Betfair, Betfred

Team news

Swansea
Wayne Routledge and Mike van der Hoorn will undergo late fitness tests. Kyle Naughton is suspended and Freddie Woodman and George Byers are unlikely to be fit.

Brentford
Nikos Karelis is the only injury concern for Thomas Frank with Shandon Baptiste and Sergi Canos fit again. Mathias Jensen is pushing for a start.

Match preview

Swansea sensationally sneaked into the Sky Bet Championship playoffs on Wednesday and they look value to take down promotion favourites Brentford in their semi-final first leg on Sunday.

The Swans needed a huge turnaround to pip Nottingham Forest but they achieved even more than the magical five-goal swing that was required, winning 4-1 at Reading while Stoke won by the same score at the City Ground.

Steve Cooper's Swans have peaked at just the right time and should be on a high following their unexpected sixth-place finish.

The odds on a home win look too long for a first leg as such games are usually closely-fought affairs.

No side have a managed a victory by more than one goal in the first leg of the Championship semi-finals in the last three seasons and this game should follow a similar pattern - but it's one Swansea can edge.

Brentford have had a fine season under Thomas Frank and they racked up seven successive wins after the lockdown to put real pressure on the top two. It wasn't enough, though, as they slipped up at the worst possible time, losing 1-0 at Stoke before a disappointing 2-1 home defeat to Barnsley.

They will be hurting after missing the opportunity to seal automatic promotion and the Swans can take advantage to secure a narrow first-leg win.

Brentford are the league's top-scorers with 80 goals and they comfortably beat Swansea home and away this season. But they lacked their usual rhythm in the final two games and a revitalised Swansea could strike when it matters most.

Key stat

Brentford have lost their last two games after an eight-game winning run.

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